This book titled In the Life of a Thorn bird is a very emotional and personal look into the life mind and heart of the author as he deals with the many adversities heartbreak and weight of the choices that must be made in not only his life but those around him. And how those choices will affect his inner circle of his family the wife the sons and the daughter short term and long term! Not to mention his family and friends as a whole on a broader spectrum including his enlaws on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. The metaphor used as the title speaks volumes about the book and everyday life just as we have good and bad we must allow and accept death to come in order for life to thrive! In the case of the author it has taken several traumatic events but none as traumatic as the current one in which the author grapples with to this day! This traumatic event is the catalyst that has brought to surface the creativity from the author s inner soul to create this beautiful book of poetry. The Thorn bird only sings it s most beautiful song which is in fact it s unknown gift when it plunges itself on that perfect thorn! At that very instance is that little bird s purpose made known other than that the Thorn bird does as any other bird would do on any given day. Build a nest lay eggs and wake early to catch that worm! Only the truly blessed are in ear shot to hear the beautifully sweet song once the life has gone so too dose the opportunity to hear that precious song. It is never to be heard from again until God calls upon another Thorn bird to sing its own unique song! I say this to you the potential reader you only live your life once the choices made in life come at you like being in the mist of a comet storm! There is no set number like the life of you and I. So with that having being said weigh every choice as if it was the last choice of you life just as you value and guard your precious metals and stones! When life or a person has done you wrong what will you do? Will you reach for a knife or gun!!! Or will you find it in your heart to forgive and let live what will be the final out come when what your choice was etched in stone! The author Shakeel Irshaad Mateen Haadee is showing you by his schematics in the form of poetry how to put away the knife and gun and pick up a book pen or note pad and become creative! Thank God (ALLAH) for blessing me with common sense and patients with limits boundless to me and the unknown gift brought about by that which hurts so much to be made known! If you are one who hurts deep beneath the surface of the skin so much so that other cannot see it or you don t want them to know the pain you are in! Please pick up this book and read until you set that pain free but on the other side of the coin if you are one who just likes poetry by all means enjoy my creativity! My blue prints of positive navigation minus the violence of life that is much too common I share with the world for all to read! Shakeel Irshaad Mateen Haadee